Today, for the second to last time, I began finals week. Like everyone else here on campus, sleepless nights, endless papers, and drone-like cram sessions plague me. I never feel more on edge or ready to implode than on finals week. But…boy am I going to miss it. I love to learn and I love to prove that I understand what I have learned. These feelings of exhaustion, being overwhelmed, and borderline insanity are totally exhilarating to me. Overnight study sessions at Van Pelt are a natural occurrence for me in later December and early May. Also, somehow, knowing that this is one of the last round of finals I will take as an undergraduate at Penn, finals week has shown me just how much I will miss Penn.

Yes, this seems to be the theme my blogs will follow as my senior year continues to sprint towards commencement. I am really, really going to miss being a Penn undergrad. No matter how loudly I curse my professors this week, and no matter how many times I slam down a book in frustration, I rest easy knowing how fulfilling my time here has been. I have expanded not only my general knowledge, but also my ability to learn with an open mind and my ability to articulate my beliefs. And for these things, I can thank the hellacious rounds of finals Penn has thrust upon me. So, to any fellow undergrads or even potential students reading this blog, I give my sole piece of advice: Relish finals. Study as hard as you can and put as much effort as possible into this week. It will only make you a stronger intellectual and learner. Now, I’m off to read scholarly articles until my eyes bleed…